Getting Her Wings - Gift Ideas

osdad

5-Year Member
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Been along time since my last visit ...

DD (USMC 1st LT - USNA 2014) will be completing Advanced Flight Training in a couple of months. I'm looking for ideas of an appropriate gift her mom and I can present when she gets her wings?

Thanks
 
The aviator wings uniform pin can actually be ordered in 14k gold. My DH has one that he wore for special occasions, not everyday. Caution: ensure wings meet uniform specs.

DH also has a 14k tie tack with the wings, to add that touch of insouciance to his civilian attire.

There are other items, such as earrings, charms and pendants, but female aviators may or may not wear them, depends on what the current trend is. I often saw spouses and girlfriends with them. My husband gave his mother a tiny gold set of wings with a diamond, which she passed on to me.

http://navalaviation.com/na-uniform-pin-15-2184.html

Does she need/want a wear-it-at-the-bar aviation watch by Breitling or similar?

And, DH still has a framed copy of this well-known poem, which was a gift from an uncle who was a WWII pilot.
http://www.skygod.com/quotes/highflight.html
 
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For our son's winging we got him a custom model of the T-38 that he used or his first jet solo. It was customized with the tail code and markings of the actual jet that he used. We got one of his roomies to check his logbook for the numbers. The model company was great in working with us to find pictures of it on the internet to get it perfect. The company that we used was: http://www.factorydirectmodels.com . They also come with a plaque containing the details and date of the solo/event. For his FTU graduation we got him another model of the actual F-16 that he did his solo in. They look great displayed in his "Me" room at his house.

Stealth_81
 
All good suggestions. For ladies, Abingdon makes good aviator style watches that are female-sized and not too expensive. I got one for Christmas and it looks nice without me worrying too much about bashing it on something in the cockpit.

Though inexpensive, a nice leather patch for her flight jacket is an option too. Wings and things (in Pensacola) and Tipsy Gypsy are both popular options. Of note, despite uniform regs don't get the "proper" "A.B. Winger 1stLt USMC" and instead do "First Last US Marine Corps." This will prevent her from having to switch out patches (damaging the leather) every time she promotes.

When I winged, I got from my parents a print from squadron posters and my patches from flight school squadrons mounted and framed.

Where is she winging out of and what platform? There are some more practical options that will help her out depending on where she's going (tablets, flight bags, etc.).
 
All good suggestions. For ladies, Abingdon makes good aviator style watches that are female-sized and not too expensive. I got one for Christmas and it looks nice without me worrying too much about bashing it on something in the cockpit.

Though inexpensive, a nice leather patch for her flight jacket is an option too. Wings and things (in Pensacola) and Tipsy Gypsy are both popular options. Of note, despite uniform regs don't get the "proper" "A.B. Winger 1stLt USMC" and instead do "First Last US Marine Corps." This will prevent her from having to switch out patches (damaging the leather) every time she promotes.

When I winged, I got from my parents a print from squadron posters and my patches from flight school squadrons mounted and framed.

Where is she winging out of and what platform? There are some more practical options that will help her out depending on where she's going (tablets, flight bags, etc.).



Whiting Field/rotary - UH1 or CH53 (not Cobra/Viper if she has the choice)
 
Whiting Field/rotary - UH1 or CH53 (not Cobra/Viper if she has the choice)

For whatever it's worth, if she's on the fence about Hueys vs. 53s and doesn't want Cobras there isn't really a huge lifestyle difference between AH and UH. Skids are all in the same squadron flying together and experiencing the same stuff. 53s are much more on the own (very different) program.
 
Can't say much about Marine aviation, but Hueys are a blast. I've flown a couple handed down to the AF from the Marines.

The nice pair of wings or the Squadronposters ideas are good ones. I have a poster of each aircraft I've flown while on active duty.
 
For my son in law's pinning at Marine Aviation I took some gold I had from Thailand (like forty years ago) and had a jeweler friend make his wings. If he looses them I will kill him. He is Osprey pilot. Did love riding in the old Hueys with their distinctive sound. Can hear them coming from a long way away.
 
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